If you focus on the rain you might miss a rainbow

I've become quite a recluse in the past year. Since my accident in November of 2008 I have had pain in my back everyday. I can't get comfortable and everything makes it hurt. Sometimes I get severe muscle cramping in my right buttocks that creates weakness in my thigh and cramps up my calf and makes my foot go numb. All this physical pain reminds me of my accident every day. I avoid driving. It just plain scares me. The world in general scares me. I have suffered a lot in the past and dealt with a lot of jerks and scary situations. Since my son's diagnosis of Autism we have had to fight so many battles with the school and other people's ignorance. But somehow I have developed a positive attitude about life. I really try to find the silver lining.

But my accident has really done a number on me. The world outside my door has come to represent endless opportunities for pain, frustration, injury and death.

I think God was trying to tell me something this morning. Something that I really needed to see.

I went to put Stephen on the bus and this is what I saw.

A big ole tree limb had fallen where we normally have our car parked. I thanked God Pat had taken the car to work this morning. This freaked me out when I thought of what could have happened to our car if it had been parked there. But it wasn't. God spared us that drama. This fallen tree limb symbolizes how I have viewed the world lately. Full of potential drama, disaster, damage and things that could make my life more difficult.

And then.....

I went to put Olivia on her bus and this is what I saw.

A flippin' rainbow! This is what God wanted me to remember that I have forgotten. The world outside my door does offer the possibility of rain and fallen tree limbs but there could also be rainbows. If I never leave my house I could be avoiding not only the painful things out there but also the wonderful things.

I also think that this experience clearly illustrates that even when we are going through pain or hard times there is always some lesson that can be learned or something wonderful that comes out of it that we never would have expected. I guess I have to start stepping out more often or I could be missing a lot more rainbows.